The US military's first stealth hybrid drone is about to be released!
2024-08-11
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Recently, the US company Northrop Grumman released photos of the XRQ-73 stealth drone for the first time, indicating that it has completed the design and manufacture of the drone test aircraft.
It is understood that the XRQ-73 is the result of the US Department of Defense's "Serial Hybrid Propulsion Aircraft Demonstration and Validation" project, which aims to use hybrid power technology to develop rapidly deployable military long-flight UAVs.
Hybrid
Data map: Photos of the XRQ-73 stealth drone released by Northrop Grumman of the United States (Source: China National Defense News)
According to the information from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the XRQ-73 drone weighs about 567 kilograms, has a flight altitude between 1,000 and 5,500 meters, and a speed between 185 and 463 kilometers per hour. The drone only uses fuel engines to provide power during takeoff and landing, and when approaching enemy areas, it switches to battery packs to continue to provide power and enter low-noise flight.
Military observer Zhang Xuefeng specifically analyzed the characteristics and advantages of hybrid electric drones.
Zhang Xuefeng:
First, the advantage of hybrid drones is that they are fuel-efficient and relatively economical; second, they are silent during flight; third, their infrared characteristics are not obvious, which can improve their own survivability.
Narrow application range
Data map: US MQ-9 drone (Source: Global Times)
According to the research and development plan, the XRQ-73 UAV will make its maiden flight before the end of this year. The US research and development team believes that the aircraft can perform missions in medium-level threat environments.
In Zhang Xuefeng's opinion, this type of drone is small in size, low in cost, and has a very limited scope of application.
Zhang Xuefeng:
Due to its small size, the XRQ-73 drone is limited in its ability to perform complex tasks. According to the relevant classification standards of the United States, this type of drone belongs to the third category of drones, focusing on low cost.
This type of drone is a bit small for the US Air Force, but it can be used as an artillery reconnaissance drone for the US Army.
Not that "amazing"!
Data map: US military RQ-170 "Sentinel" drone (Source: China Military Network)
Some analysts believe that as the first military drone to use hybrid power, the appearance of XRQ-73 marks another development of the US military in the field of defense aviation technology. However, the stealth capability and intelligence gathering capability of this type of drone on the battlefield remain to be verified.
Zhang Xuefeng conducted an analysis from two levels: design considerations and threat level.
Zhang Xuefeng:
Judging from the details, the XRQ-73 UAV has relatively obvious exposed rivets and screws, and the hatch joints do not use the design commonly used by high-stealth aircraft. In addition, drones of this level tend to be low-cost, and it must be considered that large-scale use will inevitably fall into the hands of the enemy, so some very high-end stealth technologies will not be adopted.
Previously, Iran had "tricked" a US RQ-170 Sentinel drone into landing. Like the XRQ-73 drone, this drone also uses a tailless flying wing layout. This shows that such drones can be effectively detected, interfered with, and of course shot down.
